This section orbits the topic of stewardship of money, but it contains some important material about other things too beginning with an affirmation that Muhammad is a messenger of Allah. And who is Allah? He is described in verse 255, a very important verse called Ayat-al-Kursi (Verse of the Throne). Because it is so important, I present the whole verse here:
Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever-living, the One who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never compass anything of His knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursi [usually translated as Throne but sometimes as footstool] extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Supreme.
To get some impression of how highly Muslims cherish this particular verse, see www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/dua1/ayat_al_kursi.html . In the Hadith this verse is described as "a quarter of the Quran" and "the pinnacle of the Quran."
Theres not much material in Ayat-al-Kursi that is not in the Bible (if one substitutes YHWH for Allah): heres a point-by-point comparison:
No one should be worshipped but YHWH Psalm 81:9-10
YHWH is eternal and alive Isaiah 40:28a, Psalm 42:2, Psalm 93:2, Deut. 33:27
YHWH sustains everything Job 34:12-15
YHWH never slumbers or sleeps Psalm 121:4-5a ("behold, He that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper")
YHWH owns everything in heaven and earth Isaiah 40:28
No one can put YHWH under obligation Psalm 49:7, Isaiah 40:15
YHWh knows everything Isaiah 40:13-14, 28b
YHWH reigns over all things from his heavenly throne Psalm 47:8, 103:19
YHWh does not grow weary Isaiah 40:28
YHWH preserves His people Psalm 31:23, Isaiah 40:31
YHWH is Most High, Supreme Psalm 47:2, Psalm 82:18
A significant statement in this long verse is, Who can intercede with Him [Allah] except with His permission? Sometimes the Quran says that on the Day of Judgment, there will be no intercession (in fact, that is stated in this very surah, verse 48). But a promising qualification is revealed here: no intercession is valid except what Allah permits.
The following verse, though, is more eye-catching to modern Westerners: There is no compulsion in religion. Probably the idea here is that no one should be forced to become a Muslim. This does not mean, though, that non-Muslims are allowed to evangelize in Islamic communities, or that a Muslim is free to abandon Islam and embrace or advocate another religion. Nor does it mean that non-Muslims have the same rights as Muslims in Islamic communities.
The text then turns to the subject of the rewards which await those who spend in Allahs cause. Chief among such rewards is the resurrection. A couple of stories are told about Abraham one in which he out-argues an unbeliever (by challenging him to change the location of the sunrise, a tactic which would probably not be persuasive to most people), and another in which Allah demonstrates His power to resurrect the dead by telling Abraham to cut up four birds, cut them up and scatter the remains on hillsides, and call them "they will come to you in haste." This seems vaguely familiar: in Genesis 15:9-17, Abraham slaughters some animals, including two birds, in 15:9, and later in 15:11 the birds came down upon the carcasses - except, in the account in Genesis, this simply means that other birds descended upon the carcasses; it does not mean that the birds Abraham killed were resurrected.
Between these two stories about Abraham there is a sort of Rip Van Winkle story: a man sees a city which has become dilapidated (somewhat like the scene when Nehemiah toured the broken walls of Jerusalem) and wonders how Allah will restore it. So Allah causes the man to "die for a hundred years" and then resurrects him to make the point that Allah can do anything. (Some Islamic interpreters tentatively identify this individual as Ezra.)
Then there is a prolonged reminder of the blessings awaiting those who give alms and spend their wealth for Allahs cause as long as they do not proceed to constantly remind others of their contribution. Verse 271 sums things up by saying that it is not wrong to make charitable donations in public, but it is better to do so in secret and it results in the forgiveness of some sins.
The statement that almsgiving results in the forgiveness of sins seems to echo the apocryphal book of Tobit 4:7-11. Tobit says, among other things, that "alms deliver from death."
The part about giving in secret is comparable to the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 6:1-4. A phrase from Matthew 6:3 ~ "When you give alms, do not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing" ~ happens to show up in a Hadith. In Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 2, Hadith #504: in a list of people who receive a special heavenly reward, Muhammad included "A person who practices charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given."
Verse 275 begins a warning against "Riba," that is, charging interest on loans. Interest-charging is a serious sin in Islam but creative interpreters have found ways to get around that.
Those who have loaned money to others should give their debtors time to repay the loans, and if the debtor has become indigent, the best thing to do is to consider that loan a charitable contribution.
When Muslims agree about a loan, and set a date for repayment, the standard procedure should be that the creditor and debtor call a scribe to write down the terms, as stated by the debtor or, if the debtor cannot express himself clearly, by some friend or guardian of the debtor. And there should be witnesses: two men. If there are not two men available, then one should get a man, and two women. (This sort of sets a legal precedent for Shariah Law, the result being that the testimony of a man as worth the testimony of two women.) Neither the witnesses nor the scribe should be harassed. Though this is standard procedure, some relaxations are allowed; for instance if two Muslims are on a journey and no scribe is available, they may simply exchange pledges.
In v. 284-285 there is a re-statement of Allahs greatness, and Muhammads legitimacy as a prophet with the same message that the prophets before him proclaimed. Rodwell claimed that verse 285 which says, "We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers" contradicts verse 253 which says, about Allahs messengers, "We preferred some of them to others."
Probably a clever Muslim would propose that verse 253 describes Allahs preference for some prophets above others, and verse 285 describes the Islamic communitys acceptance of all authentic apostles. It looks like one has to misplace the words "They say" to get v. 285s statement to refer to something said by the Muslims, though. Putting that issue aside, it seems obvious to me that Muslims routinely /do/ prefer Muhammad to all other prophets, and believe that Muhammads message trumps all previous messages.
The surah concludes with a statement that good deeds will be rewarded and bad deeds will be punished (which is similar to Jeremiah 25:14, and almost identical to Romans 2:9-10), followed by a prayer for Allahs support and mercy which may seem strange, since this is supposed to be a recitation from Gabriel. I suppose that a Muslim would say that this closing prayer is something which Gabriel taught Muhammad to teach his listeners to say. It shares some of the same contents as the Lords Prayer; here is a comparison of some selected phrases:
286 ~ Our Lord!
L.P. ~ Our Father who art in heaven
286 ~ Pardon us and grant us forgiveness
L.P. ~ Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors
286 ~ Put not on us a burden greater than we can bear
L.P. ~ And lead us not into temptation
286 ~ Give us victory over the unbelieving
L.P. ~ Deliver us from evil [or, from the wicked]
286 ~ You are our Maula (Patron, Protector)
L.P. ~ Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.
Well, thats all for surah 2.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever-living, the One who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never compass anything of His knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursi [usually translated as Throne but sometimes as footstool] extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Supreme.
To get some impression of how highly Muslims cherish this particular verse, see www.geocities.com/mutmainaa/dua1/ayat_al_kursi.html . In the Hadith this verse is described as "a quarter of the Quran" and "the pinnacle of the Quran."
Theres not much material in Ayat-al-Kursi that is not in the Bible (if one substitutes YHWH for Allah): heres a point-by-point comparison:
No one should be worshipped but YHWH Psalm 81:9-10
YHWH is eternal and alive Isaiah 40:28a, Psalm 42:2, Psalm 93:2, Deut. 33:27
YHWH sustains everything Job 34:12-15
YHWH never slumbers or sleeps Psalm 121:4-5a ("behold, He that keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper")
YHWH owns everything in heaven and earth Isaiah 40:28
No one can put YHWH under obligation Psalm 49:7, Isaiah 40:15
YHWh knows everything Isaiah 40:13-14, 28b
YHWH reigns over all things from his heavenly throne Psalm 47:8, 103:19
YHWh does not grow weary Isaiah 40:28
YHWH preserves His people Psalm 31:23, Isaiah 40:31
YHWH is Most High, Supreme Psalm 47:2, Psalm 82:18
A significant statement in this long verse is, Who can intercede with Him [Allah] except with His permission? Sometimes the Quran says that on the Day of Judgment, there will be no intercession (in fact, that is stated in this very surah, verse 48). But a promising qualification is revealed here: no intercession is valid except what Allah permits.
The following verse, though, is more eye-catching to modern Westerners: There is no compulsion in religion. Probably the idea here is that no one should be forced to become a Muslim. This does not mean, though, that non-Muslims are allowed to evangelize in Islamic communities, or that a Muslim is free to abandon Islam and embrace or advocate another religion. Nor does it mean that non-Muslims have the same rights as Muslims in Islamic communities.
The text then turns to the subject of the rewards which await those who spend in Allahs cause. Chief among such rewards is the resurrection. A couple of stories are told about Abraham one in which he out-argues an unbeliever (by challenging him to change the location of the sunrise, a tactic which would probably not be persuasive to most people), and another in which Allah demonstrates His power to resurrect the dead by telling Abraham to cut up four birds, cut them up and scatter the remains on hillsides, and call them "they will come to you in haste." This seems vaguely familiar: in Genesis 15:9-17, Abraham slaughters some animals, including two birds, in 15:9, and later in 15:11 the birds came down upon the carcasses - except, in the account in Genesis, this simply means that other birds descended upon the carcasses; it does not mean that the birds Abraham killed were resurrected.
Between these two stories about Abraham there is a sort of Rip Van Winkle story: a man sees a city which has become dilapidated (somewhat like the scene when Nehemiah toured the broken walls of Jerusalem) and wonders how Allah will restore it. So Allah causes the man to "die for a hundred years" and then resurrects him to make the point that Allah can do anything. (Some Islamic interpreters tentatively identify this individual as Ezra.)
Then there is a prolonged reminder of the blessings awaiting those who give alms and spend their wealth for Allahs cause as long as they do not proceed to constantly remind others of their contribution. Verse 271 sums things up by saying that it is not wrong to make charitable donations in public, but it is better to do so in secret and it results in the forgiveness of some sins.
The statement that almsgiving results in the forgiveness of sins seems to echo the apocryphal book of Tobit 4:7-11. Tobit says, among other things, that "alms deliver from death."
The part about giving in secret is comparable to the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 6:1-4. A phrase from Matthew 6:3 ~ "When you give alms, do not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing" ~ happens to show up in a Hadith. In Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 2, Hadith #504: in a list of people who receive a special heavenly reward, Muhammad included "A person who practices charity so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given."
Verse 275 begins a warning against "Riba," that is, charging interest on loans. Interest-charging is a serious sin in Islam but creative interpreters have found ways to get around that.
Those who have loaned money to others should give their debtors time to repay the loans, and if the debtor has become indigent, the best thing to do is to consider that loan a charitable contribution.
When Muslims agree about a loan, and set a date for repayment, the standard procedure should be that the creditor and debtor call a scribe to write down the terms, as stated by the debtor or, if the debtor cannot express himself clearly, by some friend or guardian of the debtor. And there should be witnesses: two men. If there are not two men available, then one should get a man, and two women. (This sort of sets a legal precedent for Shariah Law, the result being that the testimony of a man as worth the testimony of two women.) Neither the witnesses nor the scribe should be harassed. Though this is standard procedure, some relaxations are allowed; for instance if two Muslims are on a journey and no scribe is available, they may simply exchange pledges.
In v. 284-285 there is a re-statement of Allahs greatness, and Muhammads legitimacy as a prophet with the same message that the prophets before him proclaimed. Rodwell claimed that verse 285 which says, "We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers" contradicts verse 253 which says, about Allahs messengers, "We preferred some of them to others."
Probably a clever Muslim would propose that verse 253 describes Allahs preference for some prophets above others, and verse 285 describes the Islamic communitys acceptance of all authentic apostles. It looks like one has to misplace the words "They say" to get v. 285s statement to refer to something said by the Muslims, though. Putting that issue aside, it seems obvious to me that Muslims routinely /do/ prefer Muhammad to all other prophets, and believe that Muhammads message trumps all previous messages.
The surah concludes with a statement that good deeds will be rewarded and bad deeds will be punished (which is similar to Jeremiah 25:14, and almost identical to Romans 2:9-10), followed by a prayer for Allahs support and mercy which may seem strange, since this is supposed to be a recitation from Gabriel. I suppose that a Muslim would say that this closing prayer is something which Gabriel taught Muhammad to teach his listeners to say. It shares some of the same contents as the Lords Prayer; here is a comparison of some selected phrases:
286 ~ Our Lord!
L.P. ~ Our Father who art in heaven
286 ~ Pardon us and grant us forgiveness
L.P. ~ Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors
286 ~ Put not on us a burden greater than we can bear
L.P. ~ And lead us not into temptation
286 ~ Give us victory over the unbelieving
L.P. ~ Deliver us from evil [or, from the wicked]
286 ~ You are our Maula (Patron, Protector)
L.P. ~ Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.
Well, thats all for surah 2.
Yours in Christ,
Waterrock
